Songs and Folklore of the Outer Rim: Termina
by Calvariam Hedum
Summary: A collection of analyzed stories from the small Outer Rim world of Termina, compiled for the first time in history.
1. The Introduction

**The following is an excerpt from** _ **Songs and Folklore of the Outer Rim**_ , **written by** **anthropologist Parvey Rilon in 14 ABY.**

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 **Let us move on from the colorful history of the Ewoks, and journey further to the border of the Unknown Regions. Just a few parsecs away from Bakura lies the small world of Termina. One of the Republic's newest members, Termina is a temperate world rapidly catching up with the rest of the galaxy, shared by four different species; the aquatic Zora, the mountain-dwelling Gorons, the tribal Deku and the Near-Human Terminians.**

 **In a mere three years the planet has made impressive strives in modernizing itself to the standards of the rest of the galactic community thanks to Republic aid, but not at the cost of its cultural history. Quite to the contrary, the proud people of Termina carry their stories and traditions with them as they spread throughout the galaxy, from the Senate chambers of Coruscant to the concert halls of Naboo. However, their folklore was long kept oral, passed down from generation to generation. For the first time, I have been granted the honor of recording it for permanence. Of course, I have provided the unabridged stories from the people themselves, followed by my commentary on them. Join me now in my exploration of this fascinating little world on the edge of civilization.**


	2. The Carnival

**The name "Clock Town" seems to hardly do the capital of Termina justice. Spurred by intergalactic trade, the town has long since become a city sprawling across the wide plains. It is split into different walled districts, each exhibiting a unique blend of the old world, and the new. If one were to walk through its narrow streets, he would see Aurbesh holoscreens and posters handwritten in Termina's language advertising their wares side by side, horse-drawn carts giving up the right of way to swoop bikes and groups of children playing pranks on protocol droids. However, despite their modern trappings no building is more than three stories high, as nothing is permitted to be taller than the ancient clock tower in the center, from whence the town derives its name. I have been lucky enough to arrive only a few days before the planet's annual "Carnival of Time", a festival celebrating the new year. People are joyfully placing decorations all over the city. As we enjoyed the cool breeze over the delicious local beverage "Chateau Romani", a kindly old woman told me the history of the Carnival.**

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This is one of our dearest traditions. Each year, the season of harmony begins when the sun would align with the moon. Now, of course the moon is long gone, so we have to mark the date instead.

Regardless, this pays homage to the way that both nature and time are tirelessly in the process of progressing. The Carnival of Time is when the people of the four worlds celebrate that harmony and request fruitfulness for the new year.

For ages people wore masks resembling the giants who are the gods of these four worlds. Now it has become a custom for each person to bring a handmade mask to the Carnival.

It is said that if a couple united on the day of the festival and dedicated a mask as a sign of their union, it would bring luck.

The centerpiece of the Carnival has always been the Clock Tower, and on the eve of the festivities, the doors to its roof are opened. From atop the Clock Tower roof, a ceremony to call the gods is held and an ancient song is sung.

All of these festivities in the Carnival of Time are held so that we may ask the gods for a rich harvest in the years to come.

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 **Please note that Termina's traditional calendar is somewhat different from the Galactic Standard, as its days are much shorter and it has two additional months, so the Carnival of Time does not correspond with the Standard New Year.**

 **One of the most perplexing mysteries of Termina is the absence of a moon. While this in itself is not so unusual, iconography across the planet and stories such as this all make reference to a moon. This has been baffling to astrologists across the New Republic, because there is no physical evidence that a moon had ever even existed. If it somehow broke out of orbit and went hurtling off into space, it would have left some trace of a gravity field, but there is none. If it collided with the planet, there would have been a crater or at least leftover debris, but again there is none. It has been speculated that perhaps the moon the Terminians make reference to was an ancient space station possibly built by the Rakata, Celestials or some other unidentified alien race. For now, it is still up for debate.**

 **The "giants" this story makes reference to are the ancient deities of this world, but I shall discuss them in the next section.**

 **Masks are a very important cultural touchstone for the people of Termina. Many of their social functions revolve around these beautifully carved masks. As mentioned above, a special mask is dedicated to seal a marriage. The reason for this is very deep-set, and will also be explained in more detail later.**

 **Finally, the Clock Tower is the center of this world, a sacred site for the people. This is why no building can be built taller and why no one is allowed to ascend to the roof until the Carnival of Time. Interestingly, there is clearly a set of large doors at the base of the tower, but they are locked and no one is allowed entry. The reason for this is unknown.**


	3. The Giants

" **Dreamdust" is a very fitting call sign for Termina's listening post. Due to its location right on the border between the known Galaxy and the Unknown Regions, Termina cooperates with nearby Bakura to serve as an early-warning system against threats from the unexplored territories, in particular the Ssi-Ruuvi Imperium. Prior to the First Contact event, the station itself was an observatory watching the sky. An unassuming entrance in the sewers leads to the basement where one could find a mess of supplies and computer consoles manned by droids. Going up a spiraling staircase, you will see a brilliantly lit room where rainbow colored nebulas dance across a field of infinite stars on the walls and ceiling in a dazzling display of light and color. Dear reader, words can scarcely explain the sheer awe I experienced when I entered this beautiful place. Though technically an active military installation, the elderly officer on duty not only lets me stay, but also tells me the story of Termina's four ancient deities.**

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This tale is from long ago, back before all the people separated into four worlds like they were before we joined the Republic. In those times, all the people lived together, and the four giants lived among them. On the day of the festival that celebrates the harvest, the giants spoke to the people…

"We have chosen to guard the people while we sleep…."

"100 steps north."

"100 steps south."

"100 steps east."

"100 steps west."

"If you have need, call us in a loud voice by declaring something such as 'The mountain blizzard has trapped us', or 'The ocean is about to swallow us.' Your cries shall carry to us…"

However, there was one who was shocked and saddened by all this.

A little imp.

The imp was a friend of the giants since before they had created the four worlds.

"Why must you leave?"

"Why do you not stay?"

The childhood friend felt neglected, so he spread his anger across the four worlds. Repeatedly, he wronged all people. Overwhelmed with misfortune, the people sang the song of prayer to the giants who lived in each of the four compass directions. The giants heard their cry and responded with a roar,

"Oh, imp. Oh, imp. We are the protectors of the people. You have caused the people pain. Oh, imp, leave these four worlds! Otherwise we shall tear you apart!"

The imp was frightened and saddened.

He had lost his old friends.

The imp returned to the heavens, and harmony was returned to the four worlds. The people rejoiced and they worshipped the giants of the four worlds like gods, and they lived happily for a long time.

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 **Before Termina was discovered by the New Republic, it was split into four separate nations, or "worlds", as described here. Each species tended to keep to its own territory, however they did trade amongst themselves and had mostly peaceful relations with each other, however there was evidently an underlying source of racism between themselves for a long time. As per Article 20 of the New Republic Common Charter, Termina was required to form a unified government in order to gain membership. Today, Termina is still split into four provinces with some degree of autonomy, however there is now a democratically-elected council deciding on planetary affairs. In addition, all four species have their own representatives in the Senate. From what I've been able to gather, the racism seems to have decreased, with the few bigots still left turning their hatred to people from other worlds instead.**

 **The four giants are the guardian deities of this world, responsible for protecting the people of Termina, and who possibly created the four worlds. It is their song, the Oath to Order, which is sung on every New Year's Eve to guarantee good luck and a fruitful harvest. As strange as this story may seem, all legends tend to have a seed of truth in them. In this particular case, it has been theorized that perhaps the giants were actually a quartet of benevolent Force-users. Evidence from other stories which will be covered later on supports this theory. Regardless of their origin, belief in them has been steadily dropping off. Many people, especially the youth, have begun identifying themselves as atheists, most likely as a result of exposure to the greater Galaxy and the subsequent reevaluations of their worldview. However, the Oath to Order is still sung every year because of tradition, and Terminian members of the New Republic Defense Forces have been known to whistle the Oath for luck before embarking on combat missions.**

 **The "imp" referred to in this story is a somewhat beloved entity known as the Skull Kid. A reoccurring character in Terminian mythology, the Skull Kid was a mischievous trickster imp, who delighted in playing tricks on people who either wandered into his woods or were simply unfortunate enough to cross his path. In this regard, he fulfills a very similar role to Uhl Eharl Khoehng, The Trickster King of Corellian legend. Descriptions of him vary somewhat, however** **he is most commonly described** **as a young child clad in red and green clothes, but with wooden skin, yellow eyes and a duck bill for a mouth. He is usually depicted playing a flute, and is occasionally accompanied by two fairies. In this particular instance, he is described as being the friend of the giants who decided to lash out in response to their abandonment of him. He was allegedly banished to "the heavens", but as future tales show, he eventually returned. If anything, it seems that the Skull Kid was invented as a cautionary figure, to display the consequences of selfishness. He also functioned as a useful boogeyman for parents to use in order to keep their children from wandering into the wilderness. Despite this, he seems to be a source of national pride for Terminians. Masks of his face are very popular among children at the Carnival of Time, and his name and likeness adorns Termina's professional Limmie team. Most recently, he has become the mascot of Lightflash Squadron in honor of their Terminian member, Lieutenant Toru Viscen, who was posthumously awarded the Crynyd Award for his heroism at the Battle of Adumar.**


	4. The Masks

**Termina has gained quite a reputation for its exquisite masks. Here, masks are both an art and a spiritual form of expression. A rather jovial traveling merchant was kind enough to explain the reason for this.**

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I know that you off-worlders may find our customs strange, but please let me explain. Here on Termina, our masks fulfill a special purpose. They are vessels containing all of our hopes, dreams and memories. Each unique mask that is created is an extension of the creator's personality. When a person wears his mask, he is exposing his feelings and inner self to the world. Even after he moves on to find peace as all things must, his mask stays behind, as a reminder of his presence, his triumphs and his tragedies.

However, there was one whose mask was feared and spoken of with dread rather than lovingly revered.

Long before the Terminians touched the stars, they were merely a small tribe of people. They lived happily amongst themselves, singing and giving praise to the giants. But far away from their huts and warm campfires, there was one shivering in the cold and assaulted by the wind, watching with hate in his eyes.

His name was Majora.

The son of the tribe's shaman, Majora had a hard upbringing. His mother gave her life for his, only for him to be thrust into a world that was unwilling to accept him. For you see, Majora was born with a powerful command of magic, and the people were uneasy with him. The boy could manipulate objects without touching them and could listen to the thoughts of others. Despite the disgust from the people and the growing bitterness from Majora, there was one child who wanted to befriend the lonely boy. That child was the only friend that Majora had, and they spent every day playing together as the rest of tribe became more and more fearful of Majora's growing powers.

On the day of the Carnival of Time, Majora played a juvenile prank. As a sort of revenge against the tribe's chieftain for his intolerance, the boy used his powers to simply loosen the man's clothing and bowels. Humiliated in front of his tribe, the furious chieftain approached Majora and released all of his pent up anger. He screamed at the boy, cursed him and spat on him as Majora's fury grew. It was when the man slapped him across the face that Majora struck him dead in front of the entire tribe. Horrified, the tribe immediately banished the boy from the village. With even his own father and friend turning their backs on him out of disgust, Majora was forced into the wilderness alone.

For a year Majora lived like an animal, foraging off of whatever he could find and catch, all the while hating the people who cast him out. He found that the more hatred he expressed toward them, the more powerful he became. So he set about plotting revenge.

A few days before the next Carnival of Time, Majora carved his own mask; a horrifying thing that he created with anger in his heart and thoughts of vengeance through power in his mind. On the day of the Carnival he wore his mask and snuck into the village in the midst of the festivities and the happy revelers, Majora climbed to the top of the sacred Clock Tower and made a proclamation;

"You people may have thought that you were all powerful and safe after you cast me out. I have come to remind you that I am the one who holds true power!"

With that, he descended on them to dispense his terrible revenge. Men, women and children were all joyfully slain, their very souls consumed to feed Majora's power. He laughed and danced throughout all of the worlds as he killed and consumed all those who wronged him. Eventually the people of every world came together and cried out;

"Oh, giants, please help us! The demon child we cast out has come to consume us all!"

The giants emerged to fight Majora, but by then he had grown too powerful for them to stop,

"You pitiful gods are too weak to stop me! Your pathetic power will soon be added to mine!" he laughed as he drove them back.

In desperation, the people turned to the shaman for a way to stop his son. The shaman proposed an idea; that all of the people pour the memories and hopes out of their masks to create one, all powerful mask. However, the wearer would have to be permanently bound to the mask in order to absorb and use the awesome power. As the people debated among themselves as to who would make the sacrifice, one lone voice volunteered.

It was Majora's friend.

Regretting his choice to abandon his friend, the child offered his mask to the shaman. So the shaman channeled the power of all of Termina's people into the mask. The child said goodbye to his parents and donned the mask, and became a fierce deity intent on stopping his old friend.

With the aid of the giants, the deity confronted Majora. For three days they fought, shaking the earth and heavens as the people cowered and prayed. Finally, the deity weakened the Consumer, however he could not bear to kill his friend. Instead he bound both himself and Majora to the Consumer's mask where he could do Termina no more harm. The people rejoiced and gave thanks, except for one. Majora's father, the shaman, left the tribe, consumed with regret and guilt over what he did to his son long ago.

Many have heard this tale and have come to hate Majora for his deeds. Personally, I pity him.

The mask was sealed away, but over the centuries far too many ambitious people have discovered it and tried to use its power with hexing rituals. All of them were manipulated by the Consumer into continuing his destructive revenge with the use of his power and all of them were ultimately consumed by the very power they seeked. It wasn't until the young Savior arrived that the evil was finally defeated for good, but that's a tale for another time.

There's one finally addendum to this story, some say that the shaman walks Termina still, as part of a self-punishment for abandoning and failing his son, forever unable to find rest until his son did. Even when Majora was put to rest, people say that the shaman continued to wander and repeat the tale so that no person could make the same mistake that he did.

Safe travels to you, off-worlder, and good luck in your noble quest.

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 **As the above tale indicates, Majora is a demonic entity in Terminian mythology and something to be feared. Like the Skull Kid, he also appears rather frequently in other stories. However, though he is condemned by most people, his story reflects a rather tragic reality. On many planets disconnected from galactic society, the lack of knowledge of the Force has led to far too many Force-Sensitive children being ostracized and shunned by their communities out fear and ignorance. Some have lashed out, though none did so as dramatically as Majora allegedly did. Though this tale took place a long time ago, incidents such as this are still occurring even in the modern era. The most recent example concerns the fallen Jedi Desann, who was similarly hated and feared by his people and whom ultimately fell to the dark side, despite Jedi intervention. He was ultimately killed two years ago during the assault on Yavin 4. Interestingly, in this tale Majora is described as "the Consumer" due to his ability to consume the life-forces of other people. This is very similar to power tamed by only a few Sith Lords, with the most notable being the ancient Lord of Hunger, Darth Nihilus. Before his death at the hands of the infamous Jedi Exile Meetra Surik nearly 2,951 years before the Ruusan Reformation, Nihilus was described as having identical powers of consuming the life-forces of people as a way of sustaining both his power and his life. Eventually, he became powerful enough to consume entire planets before he was defeated above Telos. Even more intriguing, identical tales of granting power and manipulating people into performing destructive acts were attributed to his mask as well, however a direct connection to Majora is unlikely.**

 **Today, Termina has a much more progressive attitude toward the Force. They are very welcoming of Jedi, and respect them greatly, even with the recent "incident" concerning the Sith-worshipping Disciples of Ragnos cult. What the ancient Terminians called "dark magic" is now seen as a normal part of life. In fact, earlier this year a young Zora girl was inducted into the Jedi Order, to the great pride of Termina's residents.**

 **Finally, the mention of infusing masks into memories should be discussed. Though this tale might seem far-fetched, it is indeed possible to perform this act. The ancient Hendanyns were able to bind memories and establish mental links with masks, though the specifics of how they did this have long since been lost to time. It is not too unbelievable to expect that the ancient Terminians were also able to discover this secret and used it with their masks as well. Sadly, it seems that their technique was also lost. Today, a mask is still made by everyone during their childhood, but the mental connection is more spiritual than literal in the modern era.**


	5. The Fallen

**Far to the east of Clock Town lies a desert valley where the wind blows through the silent ruins of a lost civilization where ghosts are still said to walk. This is the fallen fifth world of Termina, the Canyon of the Ikana. Most residents of Termina dare not tread among these remnants of a lost people, and even I must confess that I felt uneasy walking through the valley of ruin. However, there is a small encampment of fearless archaeologists gathered from around both Termina and the Galaxy. The Goron leader tells me the old story of this fallen empire.**

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It may not look like it now, but once long ago, this dead canyon was once lush with life. This was where the Ikana built their grand kingdom. While the rest of the people of Termina still lived in huts or caves, the Ikana constructed the magnificent palaces and temples you see all around you. They were proud to the point of arrogance, and soon outgrew these mountains and looked to expand their kingdom.

Their army marched across Termina, conquering all of the people. In each world, they built a temple; a symbol of their might and power to the masses. However it was in this canyon, their homeland, that they built the greatest symbol of their perceived superiority; the Stone Tower.

For generations, the Ikana ruled Termina in an era of prosperity, until one day their king decided that our planet was not enough in his lust for power. The legends say that they found a gateway somewhere in Termina, a passage to another world. So they marched through.

What they found there, the records do not say. However, we do know that the army came back not as triumphant conquerors but as terrified refugees. The inhabitants of that world charged out after them, and thus began the war.

The earth shook and the heavens trembled as the two armies clashed and turned the green fields of Termina red with blood. Slowly, the Ikana lost every part of their kingdom and were forced back into the Canyon. The King desperately needed a solution, for any price.

The legends say that during this conflict, a composer of music somehow discovered the mask of Majora himself. This composer pleaded with the Consumer to save his people, offering himself in exchange. Majora agreed, and taught him a song that could suck the life force from all who heard; a Melody of Darkness.

The composer wore the mask and played the song from atop the Stone Tower. The enemy army heard the song, shuddered and died. But as the Ikana rejoiced, they did not notice their own corruption infected their very souls.

Over time, the Ikana began to grow angrier. They lashed out much more often at their subjects and each other. Petty arguments devolved into fights to the death. Eventually, the once proud and grand kingdom fell into decay as order broke apart. Eventually, one group of the kingdom's subjects, the Garo, decided to rebel, and began to fight their rulers, striking from the shadows when least expected. The King turned to his composer and asked why such things had happened to his kingdom. Majora answered for the composer;

"King of Termina, you insulted me by believing that the soul of one pitiful composer was enough for my awesome power. I am simply extracting my payment."

The King begged the Consumer to stop his decay, but Majora simply laughed. He made the composer take out a flute, and made him play the Melody that Majora taught him. Slowly, the King and all his subjects faded to dust until all that was left was their bones. Majora laughed again, and simply proclaimed,

"This is my price. For you arrogance, you and your people will remain stuck in limbo between life and death forever unable to rest and forever in your kingdom's decay. This is my curse."

The mask vanished, leaving the composer's shriveled corpse behind. The Ikana would forever be trapped in their own corpses and ruined kingdom, continuously under attack by the people they took as slaves

When the rest of Termina discovered that their masters suddenly disappeared, they rejoiced, however, there was some who took pity on the Ikana's restless existence. These shamans banded together and created a song that had the power to heal a broken soul and to bring peace to the dead. Though Majora's curse was too strong for it to be used in Ikana Canyon itself, this Song of Healing was able to bring peace to the souls of many Ikana in the other worlds.

That Song is still used today.

Of course, that is only a story. Today, as you can see, the dead no longer walk Ikana Canyon, and nothing lives here but Guays, Keese and Octorocks. Why it seems the Ikana's curse has lifted, I cannot say. If you ask the Terminians, they would tell you that Young Savior of theirs put all of the lost souls to rest, though of course those egotists say that kid is responsible for pretty much everything in Termina. Honestly, I'm pretty sure they would be saying that he blew up both Death Stars and then personally decapitated Palpatine and all his clones if they thought they could get away with it. The real answer, I suppose, is still up for debate.

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 **The Kingdom of Ikana was an empire stretching from this Canyon in the east to the rest of Termina. Due to extreme age and poor weather conditions, it is impossible to get the date of its fall with radiocarbon-dating the artifacts and ruins. In the Southern Swamp, Snowhead and Great Bay regions of Termina, the complex temples were attributed to them. Similar iconography in these locations all confirm a connection. In fact, the Ikana may have literally presented themselves as gods. The reason for this is simple. Thanks to the practice of mummification and the arid environment, xenobiologists have incredibly well preserved corpses of Ikana to study. These corpses indicated that the Ikana Kingdom was split into castes; the average sized commoners, and the gigantic aristocracy. This ruling class had a unique form of genes that gave them incredible height, with the tallest being nearly 12ft high. This practically made them giants among the rest of Termina, which of course could have led to the origin of the four guardian Giants. It is possible that the various races simply saw their tall rulers as literal gods and adopted them as such.**

 **According to a friend and colleague of mine in the Jedi Order, the Canyon has been practically drenched with the Dark Side of the Force, most likely as a result of the events that occurred here long ago. He said that a walk through the Canyon produced negative feelings as strong as the Valley of the Dark Lords on Korriban did. The focal point of this dark energy is the Stone Tower, which is a massive structure casting a shadow over the entire canyon. It is for this reason that the Sith-worshipping Disciples of Ragnos came to Termina earlier this year. The visit resulted in a confrontation with the Jedi Order at the top of the Tower, and ultimately resulted in the death of the cultists and a Jedi Master thrown down the central shaft. The Order has since sealed off the Tower, forbidding all entry for safety reasons.**

 **There are many theories as to the identity of the mysterious invaders. The most popular theory is that they came from the Core world of Tython, which is based on two pieces of evidence. The first, the Ikanian iconography on many of their statues and motifs. These pieces of artwork depict a tetrahedron being licked, destroyed and otherwise desecrated, most likely created as a way of expressing hatred toward the invaders. This tetrahedron is a prominent symbol found on the ancient ruins of Tython, and was evidently held in very high regard by the creators of the Old City. Secondly, there are many legends stating that a hypergate, a portal through hyperspace linking two worlds, is hidden on Tython. Despite these rumors, no hypergate has been found on either Tython or Termina, but it could provide an explanation as to how the two worlds could have made contact.**

 **The "Song of Healing" is indeed still in use today by many doctors from Termina. It has been used to soothe terminally-ill patients right before they pass away and is frequently played at funerals. An experiment conducted at the Republic Central Medcenter used both the Song of Healing and songs from several other cultures with similar alleged curative properties deduced that patients found Termina's variant the most relaxing and peaceful out of all of the songs. One patient in particular claimed that the Song healed his Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from military service, stating that it helped "put his mind and fears at rest". Terminian doctors are currently petitioning their skeptical colleagues to start using the Song as part of treatment. Only time will tell if they are successful.**

 **The "Young Savior" mentioned here is a legendary hero held in high regard by the Terminians. Needless to say, he is not universally honored among all of the other inhabitants of Termina. He will be discussed in more detail later.**


End file.
